Reconstruction of the Jonušas Radvila Palace into a Museum in Vilnius (LT)

Urban Idea The new museum Radvila seeks to stand as a new beacon of light and culture among Vilnius inhabitants but remain respectful towards the city’s history. The main urban idea is to reinstate the original footprint of the building and doing so by matching original heights of buildings and adjusting proportions as for the new spaces to be suitable towards actual museum-wise buildings requirements. By doing this, the original open space from the complex, becomes public, and the goal is to insert elements inside it, not only to complete the program taking advantage of the underground surface, but also to order the open space, give hierarchy and stablish different types of programs and activities that could happen during the different times of day, or even seasonally. Architectural Idea The strategy to intervene the original first eastern wing building and its extension, is to create suitable spaces from within itself, and to find wider dimensionsfor them in all directions; therefore, all interior walls as well as slabs and roof are dismantled carefully, as to keep the perimetral walls (facades) untouched. The insertion of a new timber structure, that carefully interacts with the walls, by understanding their rhythms and dimensions, create the new solid skeleton as where the new program will be inserted. This same structure will make its way from the ground level, all the way up to match the neighboring heights of north and south pavilions, and continue to the back, to create a new continuous cover for the Sports Riding Hall and transform it, into a world class Exhibition Gallery. Of course, not all the program is covered within this new obtained surface, as almost all the areas for artwork management and handling, staff offices and the multifunctional hall where still to come. The placement of this elements became a delicate negotiation as how to remain respectful upon the preexistent architecture, the new addition, and the open space plaza, mainly because the presence of natural of light and ventilation, became non-negotiable for every single space of the project. The underground hybrid was the answer. A set of diverse elements that would share in their vertical dimension, area with the plaza, but in a particular disposition in which those elements rather than blocking the visitor’s promenade, would contain and order the open space. A small terrace-café, a larger restaurant with a generous terrace where set on place, but the main element would come to be the multifunctional hall, which can hold a wide range of events for more than 500 people. This space and its volumetric consequence for the ground level, will reflect on the program happening just beneath it, and become a multifunctional outdoor are by itself. This element will not only provide natural light and ventilation for all the underground hall, but also, will home cultural and artistic events during the nights, or even just a nice spot for sitting and admiring the palace’s architecture. There is another axis, distributed by a medium height wall, that will guide the visitor from wherever they entry the plaza into the main hall of the museum, and by doing so, also vesiculating in a discrete lane, the access to the artwork delivery and handling area, or when not in use, just another entrance to the museum since this would only happen in specific moments of the day. A permanent and close relationship between every space is not only seek but procured. Both as sharing views from different levels or remain in the same one without any barriers even when passing through widely different program areas. A good example of this, might be the rooftop-café, which is inside of the building and in direct visual contact with the main hall of building at the ground level. The project is a subtle intervention in the center of Vilnius, but a honest and strong statement about the city’s identity and heritage.